Bahrain inflation down 2.7pc in July

Manama, August 23, 2014

Bahrain's annual inflation rate eased to 2.7 per cent in July slowing down slightly from 3.1 per cent year-on-year in June, said a report.

Housing and utility costs, which account for 24 per cent of consumer expenses, rose 5.4 per cent from a year earlier and were flat from the previous month, according to the consumer price data for July released by Bahrain's statistics office.

The prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which account for 16 per cent of the basket, gained 2.3 per cent year-on-year and rose 2.1 per cent month-on-month.

Analysts polled by Reuters in April predicted average inflation of 3.3 per cent in 2014 and 3 per cent in 2015 compared with 3.3 per cent in 2013.-Reuters